Elton Brand, Shane Battier Reportedly Contacted by 76ers to Serve in Mentor Role

In their latest attempt to retool their locker room culture, the Philadelphia 76ers contacted former NBA players Elton Brand and Shane Battier to potentially serve as mentors for players.  

David Aldridge of NBA.com reported the news Monday. It's unclear whether Brand or Battier are receptive to the potential roles, which are undefined at this time.

The news comes as part of a surprising midseason cultural shift. The Sixers announced Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Colangelo would be their new chairman of basketball operations earlier in December, a sign to some that general manager Sam Hinkie had lost trust within the organization.

Hinkie, 38, has led the Sixers on perhaps the most daring rebuilding effort in professional sports history since taking over in 2013. He's stripped the roster bare of veterans, drafted a series of high-upside, high-risk big men that haven't totally panned out and thumbed his nose at wins in favor of lottery balls.

While it appeared he had the full backing of Sixers ownership coming into the season, turmoil on and off of the court has led to an apparent change. Philadelphia hired Colangelo not long after the team tied an NBA record with 18 straight losses to start the season and amid a series of transgressions from young star Jahlil Okafor. The Rookie of the Year candidate was depicted getting into street fights in Boston and was reportedly pulled over for driving 108 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone.

The Okafor incidents were reportedly enough to push Sixers ownership and the NBA itself over the edge. Commissioner Adam Silver played a "significant hand" in the club hiring Colangelo, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, and Aldridge's report confirmed Mike D'Antoni is likely headed for an assistant coaching role on the Sixers' bench.

HBO's Bill Simmons offered his take:

"We talked about the ways in which our organization could be better, and the ways we could round this out," Hinkie said of Colangelo. "With a name like that, and the sort of experience, we're kind of like stewards. And he was a steward of the same club across five decades. Like, all of a sudden, I already have something to talk with him about, because I'm genuinely curious about it. Just that, that worldview and what that's like. We talk a lot about setting decisions in place, and knowing the ramifications of those decisions over time."

Adding Battier and/or Brand as mentors would merely be another step in increasing the Sixers' professionalism.

Battier was one of the NBA's most respected players during his 13-year career, winning two titles and emerging as a do-everything talent whose contributions went beyond the box score. He spent the 2014-15 season as an analyst for ESPN but did not return this season.

Brand announced his retirement in August after 16 seasons. He, likewise, has a strong reputation around the league and actually spent four seasons in Philadelphia, though it did not go as well as he or the organization planned.

What's clear here is that things are changing in Philadelphia. Whether the jettisoning of The Process is a good thing or merely a short-sighted decision caused by external pressure remains to be seen. But it's happening, regardless. 

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.